Her eyes
by Phoenix L
Summary: Snily!AU. Voldemort vanished, by the hands of a foretold child, not before killing his parents, Severus and Lily Snape. James Potter wished he couldn't care less about it all, however not even after a decade he could ever forget her eyes, and with Sebastian Snape's first year in Hogwarts, he finds out he cares too much for his own liking.
1. The boy who lived and the man who sworn

James stirred on his bed, restless. It has been over months since the last time he slept a good night of sleep; the quietness made him think, which he so eagerly avoided during the day. The wizardry world was at war and he might as well die any time soon. The Order was slowly falling apart.

And he didn't appreciate the fact his bed was empty that night. All the other nights he managed to fulfill the void inside of him with random women, however that night he came back home alone. No one wanted to go into strangers' houses anymore... And he was left to fantasize and linger on the memories of two green eyes and red hair.

He'd be lying to himself if he said he got over her. He didn't: but she was Mrs. Snape, with a little Snape Jr. He never saw Lily again since she became pregnant and went hiding...

"Alright, time for some firewhiskey." he mumbled and crawled out of bed, stretching his sore muscles.

"I'd accept some, if you don't mind." Dumbledore said, simply appearing in the middle of the room.

"What?! What are you doing here?"

"I'm not sure on how to give these news to you, James."

Oh oh. Dumbledore looked serious and ten times older than he really was.

"Just spill it then. Hm... While we go to the living room."

While they made their way towards the living room, Dumbledore said: "Voldemort is dead. The war is over."

James stopped at once and turned around. "T-that's wonderful! How?"

"Because Lily and Severus died, I think."

"L-lily... Died? She's dead?"

James ran to the cabinet where he kept his drinks and opened a bottle of firewhiskey, swallowing down a quarter of its content within a heartbeat. Lily. Dead. Voldemort. Also dead.

"Sit down, James, and let me explain."  
He didn't think he could stand any longer. Dumbledore lit up more lights before sitting on the couch across from where James clutched to his bottle of firewhiskey, shaking slightly.

"W-wasn't Lily safe?"

"She was... The problem is that she trust on the wrong person. She was hiding at London, living as a single mom for a casual observer. Living with Severus was out of question even though that would be more than natural, unfortunately his role as spy made it impossible." Dumbledore sighed.

Oh yes. Snape accepted taking the Dark Mark once things got more serious, and the Order desperately needed a spy inside Voldemort's friend circles, and he was perfect for the job. He and Lily were living apart, then, and no one could ever link him to the Order. Or to Voldemort. His neutrality made him a good spy.

Then Lily Evans became Lily Snape, and she got pregnant. James wasn't sure of the order of the facts.

"She felt lonely and called no one less than Pettigrew to her apartment." The rat went to lick Snape's boots as soon as he joined the Order and proved to be a little more than a soding git. James remembered that very well. "That was the fatal mistake."

"What do you mean?" asked James, taking another large sip in his bottle.

"Pettigrew betrayed us all, James. And did it in front of Severus, who was immediately killed. Shortly after, Voldemort and a group of three Death Eaters went to her apartment and killed her."

James pictured Lily's body laying on the floor, eyes open and lifeless. He closed his eyes as if it would make the image go away, but it haunted him even further.

"But the boy survived. I have all the evidences to believe he is indeed the Chosen One the prophecy talked about... Voldemort tried to kill him, and was destroyed in the process."

"I thought he was immortal."

"He might be." Dumbledore agreed, staring into the distance. "But he's not indestructible. He might be alive, weak, cowering. It is over, but it won't be for much longer, I'm afraid. Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey is looking over the boy."

"What do I have to do with it?"

James was shaking from head to toe, barely holding himself together. Lily couldn't be dead. He remembered his laughter, that he could hear from afar in the hallways - oh! she always laughed at Snape's constant arrogance - and thought about how he could never hear it again.

Had the war being over with her still alive, even so he might have not seen her again, but at least the thought she was alive and well would be of some comfort.

Not anymore.

"Because I thought you would be interested in paying her one last favor. I can offer you a place at Hogwarts for now, and when the boy is grown up enough to be a pupil..."

"You don't mean to say I'll have to babysit him?"

"If you want to think like this. All I have to say the only purpose of the Order at this time is keeping this boy alive." James' hands shook so much he couldn't even lift the firewhiskey to his lips. "Listen, wallow in self-pity at this empty house won't help you any. Remus accepted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and you'll be the Quidditch Coach, if you want to, that is. Ponder about it, if you will."

"I..."

Dumbledore managed to smile as he left by the front door: "Glad to hear you will think about the matter."

OoOoO

Mr. Dursley's mood that morning was somewhere lower than awful. Firstly, there were all these owl as he drove to his work, and shooting stars at 8 a.m. An annoying cat wouldn't move from the front of the house, and weirdly dressed people populated the streets.

He had a strong hint of why that all was happening, however he did not dare to utter, or even dwell in the thought too much. In the coffee shop he used to buy his donuts to snack during the day, a couple of them whispered excitedly to each other.

"The boy, he lived, Snape..."

"I can't believe it!"

Mr. Dursley couldn't either. Snape happened to be the new surname of his wife's sister. He vaguely recalled the giant bat that was the man named Severus Snape with whom Petunia's loony sister married; and also remembered Petunia fainting when her sister visited with a ring on her finger and a three months pregnancy.

But that couldn't be it, although he heard the name twice more that day.

When he was back home, watching telly with Petunia at the living room, late of the night, he commented on it: "Strange day, isn't it?"

Petunia said nothing, but her lips formed a thin line. Yes, she noticed, and didn't want to talk about it. Did she hear about what the weird people commented? Probably not, however he kept silent and let the subject die.

Although the comments still bugged him.

And then, someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it." he said, and walked to the hall, to bark from there: "Who is it?!" No answer. But he heard a new knock. "It better not be any punks..." he said under his breath and opened the door.

No one was on the streets, not even a bunch of kids running away as he expected. Then a baby released a low cry. A baby and a letter rested on his doorstep. To Mr. and Mrs. Dursley.

"Petunia! Come over!"

She quickly appeared and her eyes almost jumped out of her orbits when she saw the letter. It was on parchment, not regular paper. Whatever that was, wasn't good news. And Mr. Dursley could swear the raven black hair of the baby was familiar. Too much familiar.

And then the baby moved, crying louder and opening his eyes. Green like the trees' leaves on spring.

Petunia gasped and kneeled down to grab the baby and the letter.

"Quick!" she muttered. "Close the door before the neighbors see this!"

Mr. Dursley did accordingly and followed his wife to the kitchen.

She skimmed through the letter and fell heavily on a chair, with the baby on her arms.

"We have to keep him." she said simply.

"Why should we?"

She folded the letter neatly and put on her pocket.

"The Snapes..." she said with some scorn. "Are dead. I knew he would get her killed, but no, she didn't hear me!"

"And what about the baby?"

"Is their son. We'll have to keep it."


	2. Such thing as magic

"Thirty-six?!" exclaimed Dudley in the kitchen. "But last year I got thirty seven!"

Sebastian let out a low growl. It was way past the time for him to get up and eat but ever since he tried to run away - for the fifth time - a few months prior, he almost managed to make it and the police found him, eventually. Now the Dursleys pretended he didn't exist, except for the bare minimum.

"We'll buy another two at the mall today, what do you think, sweetie?" said Aunt Petunia.

"Then I'll have..."

Thirty nine, Sebastian thought. His birthday would happen within a little over than a month and he'd expect nothing more than a sock or a penny. Maybe not a penny; Uncle Vernon ought to think he could end up in London if he had any money.

"Thirty nine, Dudikins. We'll buy them after the trip to the zoo."

Oh yes. The trip to the zoo.

That meant for that day Sebastian could eat as much as he wanted. Then he heard steps on the cupboard's direction. Aunt Petunia's steps. Within a couple of seconds she knocked heavily at his door.

"Wake up!"

"I'm already awake."

"Then go to the kitchen! Now!"

"I'm going, Aunt."

Sebastian got up, not without some reluctance. He hated that house, and hated his relatives - people he didn't not refer as his family - and wished that his parents didn't have died at a car crash. He still had the lightining bolt scar on his forehead from the crash, accordingly to Uncle Vernon. However if it was serious enough to kill two adults, why did he escape with only a scratch?

Some would say it was luck, or even fate. Sebastian thought he was very unlucky, and if it was fate, then it was not on his side.

"Yes, Aunt?" he asked when he arrived at the kitchen.  
"We are going to the zoo, and you'll go to Mrs. Figgs."

"Why? I can take care of myself!"

"You are ten years old, you haven't got out of your diapers yet." sneered Uncle Vernon. "Go get the mail, and eat so we can leave."

It was a lost battle.

"Alright."

He turned on his heels and left.

The mail that day came with a surprise. A yellowed letter waited for him.

Mr. S. Snape

The Cupboard Under the Stairs

4, Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Who would send him a letter? He had no relatives, no friends either thanks to Dudley who made sure to remind everyone of his saggy clothes and his long, crooked nose. He definitely looked nothing like any of the Dursleys. Maybe Aunt Petunia, because they were both thin, but she was blonde and had blue eyes.

Sebastian turned the letter around.

Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A snake, a lion, a honey badger and a eagle surrounded a letter H which should stand, obviously, for Hogwarts. Sebastian frowned and slipped the letter to his pocket, for later...

Only after the Dursleys returned from the mall is that Sebastian had the opportunity to open and read the letter. Mrs. Figg wouldn't leave him alone, talking about her cats and offering him chocolate cake, which tasted several years old.

He carefully cracked the wax seal and read it all, paying close attention.  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Snape,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

The second page with requirements says:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
sets of plain work robes (black)  
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)  
by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi  
by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  
by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection  
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Wands, cauldrons, spells.

A prank letter, very simple. A very cruel prank at that... The person Sebastian thought of was Dudley, although Dudley couldn't have written or thought about all this. Not to mention draw the neat logotype, or get any wax to make the seal.

Wizards. Sebastian read stories about those before, at school. But they didn't exist, and even if they did, he couldn't be one of them. He was perfectly ordinary.

He ripped the letter in small pieces and threw them on the garbage.

That night, he had a nightmare. Not any nightmare, but the nightmare: he dreamed about that every night if he got too upset or mad. A green light, a laugh. Then nothing, and pain. Pain on his scar, that made him wake up, damp with sweat. The first time it happened, he told Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia about it, who just scoffed at him for being too scared about such nonsense.

He reached for his clock. It was three minutes past five a.m.

After those nightmares he couldn't really sleep, so he got up and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of chocolate milk. When he came back to his cupboard, no less than three letters identical to the one he received before were at the front door.  
He caught them all and hid them on a box.

That prank hit his buttons: he knew he couldn't escape the cold hard truth that he couldn't leave that house until he was about eighteen, and that he was no wizard. He couldn't wave a wand and do magic, all he could do was hope his life got better, somehow.

Five minutes later he reached for one of the letters.

While he was sure it was prank, it all seemed so real. So believable.

But how could it be...?

And whoever the prankster was, it just wouldn't give up. By breakfast, new letters arrived, it seemed. Sebastian saw the pieces of them in the kitchen garbage.

"What you looking at the garbage?" Uncle Vernon snarled. "There's nothing for you there."

"Don't worry, Uncle Vernon. These letters are just a joke. If we receive more of those you can throw them away."

Uncle Vernon immediately relaxed. "Yes, a joke... I thought about it, yes."

Aunt Petunia looked as tense as before.

"We'll get rid of them for you, don't worry."

Sebastian frowned and left the kitchen. Did they believe the letters were real? They weren't the sharpest of the lot, but it was clearly a very clever joke. He didn't appreciate it in the slightest, to be fair. But that was just the beginning.

A box came from the mail, full with those letters. And then they came inside the eggs, and the milk, and from the bathroom window. And ten of they came, and twenty and as much as a hundred.

One day Sebastian was just so sick of those he sneaked out of the house and roamed around the blocks without no destiny in mind. Someone who knew where he slept was sending those. Now, Dudley was completely out of question. He definitely couldn't think of all that...

Finally he stopped at an empty playground. It was too hot to play outside, however he couldn't stand staying at Privet Drive any longer; not to mention he wasn't there to play. He sat by a swing and looked to nowhere particularly until he spot a small pebble nearby.

Well, if I am a wizard, I should be able to move this pebble.

He stared at it until his eyes started to burn. It didn't move. He sighed in frustration and rubbed his eyes. Then the pebble wasn't there anymore. He found it a few inches further away from him.

Sebastian thought the heat played tricks on him, but the pebble moved, this time on his direction. The air was very still; it couldn't be the wind. Though it had to be the wind... Pebbles couldn't move alone.

Unless he was truly a wizard.

Taking that as a fact, how would he go to a wizardry school if he didn't had any money and certainly Uncle Vernon wouldn't pay for it? Mostly, if Uncle Vernon ever found out Sebastian was a wizard, he'd probably eject Sebastian from the house within a second.

It didn't make any sense, none at all.

He decided to go back. Pebbles couldn't move, and he wasn't a wizard, and the prank letters would stop soon and then he'd forget about it all. As he walked back, however, he started to recall weird events that happened and he didn't give them much though, until then.

Aunt Petunia was always angry at his long hair and would try to cut it short, leaving only bangs to cover the scar on his forehead, however in a matter of hours, the hair would be as long as before. Dudley often tried to destroy Sebastian's homework, but somehow he failed inexplicably. It always appeared in its original state, either inside his backpack or at his cupboard.

Dudley could tell about this to Aunt Petunia to get Sebastian in trouble, but even he reckoned Sebastian couldn't have done such thing.

But perhaps Sebastian could.

He let out a frustrated sigh.

When he finally made to the house, everything was silent. No letters in the front door to speak of, or anywhere at all. Sebastian thought they finally stopped, although the silence was unsettling.

"Aunt Petunia? Uncle Vernon?"

"At the living room." said Aunt Petunia. She sounded borderlining hysterical.

Sebastian frowned and cautiously tip toed to the living room. A scrawny man, with his face full of scars, smiled, albeit somewhat forcibly, at him.  
"Who are you?" asked Sebastian, right away.

"You don't remember me, of course. When we met, you were small enough to sit on my lap. But I am Professor Lupin, teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

This must be the most well thought prank of his entire life.

OoOoO

James, Hagrid and Remus were called at his office, at a certain night.

"It appears that the boy is not believing in the letters." Dumbledore said with a smirk, gesturing for the three visitors to sit. The boy was, of course, Snape Junior. And of course he wouldn't believe the letters, not if he was son of his father, a distrusful, despicable man.

"No way." James ironically replied.

Dumbledore sent him a stern look before continuing.

"Even though his parents were both wizards, Mrs. Figgs reported he's as good as a muggleborn regarding magic. Petunia and Vernon have not told the boy about his past. The standard procedure is to send a teacher... And I also have an important task for this teacher to accomplish while fetching the boy, so it has to be one of you three. Nicolas Flamel left me what's left of his Philosopher's stone, and it must be secured properly at Hogwarts; I won't trust Gringotts with keeping it safe."

Remus chimed in."So whoever is enrolled to the task will have to visit Privet Drive and fetch the stone at Gringotts?"

"Precisely."

"I... I don't think I can do that for ye." Hagrid said, saying no with his head.

Of course he couldn't. No one in the room knew why Lily picked Snape instead of James. Even in the Light Side, he was as slick and snarky as before. They were not friends, and for some reason, Hagrid was especially weary of Slytherins and their families.

James was not sure if he could, either.

Remus sighed. "I will do it. How bad can it hurt?"

"It won't." Dumbledore said.  
James wasn't surprised with Remus' decision... After all, Remus turned out to be a great friend of Lily, with his abilities of coping with Snape. Maybe he could cope well with Snape Jr.

With that out of the way, all James could do was count the days until the beginning of the term.


	3. Arrivals

A.N.: Alright, I'm going to tweak some canon magic rules here. Because I can, thank you very much.

"Hm, excuse me Mr. Lupin, but I think you might be mistaken." said Sebastian. "Hogwarts doesn't exist. Hogwarts _can't_ exist."

"I thought so too." Petunia said through her teeth. "But no, it is true."

"You knew." Sebastian's voice was as low as a whisper, barely above the fan on the ceiling. "You knew it was true and didn't tell me." All in the room turned their eyes to him. Usually, he didn't like the attention but his mind wasn't in the room anymore. A moment later came the second logical conclusion. "Did my parents really die at a car crash?"

"No." Mr. Lupin replied, shifiting on his spot. "It was a bit more complicated than that. Though yes, they were wizards like you. Great wizards, at that. You should have known all along. They died fighting at a war that was happening at the Wizardry World by the time you were born."

"So they were soldiers?"

"You could say so. The best ones I ever saw."

Sebastian could waste his energy being angry at his Aunt and Uncle for not telling him anything all those years, but he was too busy trying to understand what Mr. Lupin told him. He, son of two brave wizards? He, a wizard himself? No, that couldn't be.

"Prove it."

Mr. Lupin smirked and looked for something in his pocket. "I knew you were going to say something of the like. Thank Merlin Petunia gave me the pleasure of giving me one of her photographs before you arrived."

He then showed a fading, black and white photograph. The setting was a dining room, and on top of the table, a cauldron released grey smoke. A young woman stirred whatever was inside of it, and another equally young men read a book, sitting at the table. His features were incredibly familiar: the nose, the hair. He and Sebastian were both scrawny... The young woman must be his mother.

On the verse of the photograph, he read:

_Me and Sev, December, 1977. The day he asked me to be his girlfriend. _

_Finally. Ugh._

"Well." Mr. Lupin said, standing up. "Now that we got everything cleared up, we have some tasks to accomplish. I promise he'll be back right in time for dinner."

Sebastian carefully folded the photograph and put it in his pocket. "Where are we going? What are we going to do?"

"Buy what you have to buy. What you think you are going to do at Hogwarts without a wand, books and uniform? Let's go."

"But I don't have money."

"You do. Though it's only for later. Hogwarts will pay for your education as a sign of gratitude for your parents' services at the war."

"Oh."

He willingly followed Mr. Lupin outside, without looking back to Vernon or Petunia.

"Now, this will be a bit uncomfortable. Hold my arm and whatever happens, don't let go."

Then Sebastian was hesitant, but obeyed anyway. Mr. Lupin took out a stick from an inner pocket of his jacket and with a flickle of the stick, the Privet Drive twirled and Sebastian felt as if though he was inside a garden hose, yet still flying at a great speed. It only last two seconds, and his feet landed on the stones of a deserted alley. Only one place he knew had buildings that high.

"Are we... Are we in London?"

"Precisely." Mr. Lupin put the stick - the wand - inside his inner pocket again. "And now we are off to Diagon Alley, where we'll buy what we have to buy. It's only two blocks away."

"And when will I learn to do that? You know, show up everywhere I want?" Sebastian asked, while they walked down an unknown street. If he could go anywhere he wanted, perhaps he could leave his relatives' house.

"In six years. It's a rather difficult trick to master, and potentially dangerous too. It'll take a while. Alas, we shouldn't speak this out loud. When we arrive to Diagon Alley, you can ask me anything you wish. Deal?"

Sebastian thought of asking why shouldn't they, but that would be a question, so he merely nodded and kept quiet until they arrived at an old, dirty bar called The Leaky Cauldron. The sign above the door had a witch stirring a cauldron, and inside there were people dressed in the weirdest way imaginable. Though the passersby didn't seem to notice anything.

Mr. Lupin went straight to the back door. The people inside the bar seemed way too interested in them... Sebastian swore he heard someone whisper "Do you see the scar...?" At first he thought the person talked about Mr. Lupin, who afterall had a fair share of scars on his face, but then someone else muttered "It's the boy!".

The only boy in the room was him.

They were out of the bar and into a dirty courtyard before Sebastian could ask anything. Only a dustbin occupied the court yard. Mr. Lupin reached for his wand and tapped one brick of the wall in front of them.

"Remeber, three up and two across from the dustbin. You'll need it later." he said.

"Three up, two across. Alright."

The bricks started to rearrange themselves, firstly forming a hole that grew wider and wider. A lot of noice could be heard from the hole, and when it turned to an archway, it made possible to see a street full of pedestrians and shops.

Sebastian had a large number of questions in his head, but they all vanished as he took his first step towards the so called Diagon Alley. It was easy to get lost: the window displays showed magical books, cauldrons and unknown but surely exciting items.

"Keep close to me." Mr. Lupin said. "If I lose you, Dumbledore is going to kill me."

"Who's Dumbledore?"

"Hogwarts' Headmaster."

It was far too much information for Sebastian to process at one moment. He wanted to know so many things and question the very existence of magic. But he figured he'd find it out at Hogwarts, and started mentally organizing the questions he wanted to ask right away.

"All of this is kept hidden of normal people, isn't it? That's why we shouldn't talk alout about magic, and why they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron. Why?"

"You studied History at your school, I suppose. Well, there was something called the Witch Hunt, in Modern Ages. Of course you were told that it was all an excuse to kill people and that wizards don't really exist, but they do. We do, you see, and we just thought it was better to keep magic away from muggles, who are non-magical people. That was when the Ministry of Magic created the Statute of Secrecy."

"It makes sense."

He saw a small group of boys in front of a specific window display. They all were drooling over a broomstick. Sebastian didn't get close enough to really see it, but it didn't matter.

"So broomsticks can fly?"

"Indeed. There's even a sport called-"

"So what muggles know about wizards are true, but they don't know that they know. Are dragons real?"

"Yes."

"Mum, I think we should buy the cauldron and the books for last. It wouldn't make sense to carry that much weight around, right?"

A couple with a bushy haired girl walked past Sebastian and Mr. Lupin. The girl was too busy with her list to be surprised with all the magic around her, very unlike her parents.

"Hello." Mr. Lupin said. "By any chance will your daughter study at Hogwarts?"

"Yes." replied the girl, eyeing Sebastian. "And your son is going to Hogwarts too?"

"He's not my son. I'm Professor Lupin, I'll teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for them. This is Sebastian and his parents were... Unable to come. So I'm here to buy his materials."

"Oh. Very nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin. I'm Malcolm Granger, this is my wife Elizabeth and the little one is Hermione. Do you know where Gringotts is? Mrs. Sprout is a busy woman and couldn't come with us."  
"We are going there. Care to join us?"

Mr. Lupin and the Granger couple went ahead, chattering about Hogwarts. Sebastian and Hermione stayed a little behind. He put his hands on his pockets, unsure of what to say. She apparently didn't know what to say either; to break the silence, Sebastian asked:

"Your parents are muggles, aren't they?"

It seemed obvious, as they were with their jaws on the floor, and they didn't know where Gringotts was. Sebastian himself didn't even had the knowledge of what Gringotts was, but he would find out.

"Yes. Yours?"

"They were wizards."

"Do you mean that they are-"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." She cleaned her throat. "Well... Mind if I ask a few questions? Mrs. Sprout barely covered the basics."

"I don't know much more than you do, to be honest. My muggle relatives raised me. It has been an hour since I found out I am a wizard."

"Oh."

Nothing else to speak of came to Sebastian.

"Did you believe it?" he pointed to the letter.

"No. Not at first." confessed Hermione, putting her list down. "But then Mrs. Sprout turned the pot into a ferret with a swish of her wand, and made the couch we were sitting on levitate. Hard not to believe after that."

"Well, mine was a bit different." His fingers played with the photograph inside his pocket. He wondered if he should show Hermione or not; well, she seemed friendly enough, and didn't mind his clothes or anything, unlike any other kid Sebastian met ever. With some hesitation, he showed her the photograph.

"Your parents, I suppose."

"Yeah."

"You look like your father." she said with a nervous giggle. "I'm really sorry this has happened to you."

"Kids? Kids!" Mr. Lupin's voice raised above the talking of the crowd. "We are already at Gringotts, where are you two going?"

Hermione looked around, startled. They were in front of a white building that towered over all the other shops, with its multiple decks. On top of the entrance portic, it read: Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

"Sorry." she said when they joined Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Mr. Lupin at the front door. "We weren't paying enough attention. Oh, this is yours." She returned the photo to Sebastian. "Well?"

She smiled broadly as she took the lead towards the door.

OoOoO

"So we have a month left of vacation?" Padfoot said. It was dawn, and he and James played Explosive Snap at the then empty Gryffindor table at the Great Hall, just waiting for dinner.

Padfoot ended up owning the Zonko's store at Hogsmeade. He didn't have enough education to be a teacher, and far too much money and free time.

"Where's Moony anyway, wasn't he supposed to be here by dawn or something?"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll be fine. I'm more concerned with... You know."

"Keep your little friend in your pants for once, will you?" James sneered. "Miss Bonnet said in the letter that she would be here in no time. Busy travelling the Europe and such."

Padfoot wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You know what they say about those Beauxbeatons girls. And unlike you, I am not her colleague so the road is free. Wink wink."

"Please. We don't even know if she's pretty."

Miss Gabrielle Bonnet should be a refreshing addition to the staff. Mrs. Bubbage, the former Muggle Studies teacher, fell sick all of sudden and passed away three weeks prior. Mrs. Bonnet should be arriving that night, but James didn't feel like sharing it just to see Padfoot's face when she showed up for dinner.

That would be funny.

And it was funny indeed, fifteen minutes later when a witch came walking down the Great Hall with a trunk. She was about in her early twenties, almost just a girl. Her curly, dark brown hair formed a beautiful mess around her face. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement.

"Hello?" she said to them.

"I'm sorry but who are you? The classes only start in a month." Sirius said with a snicker.

"Dumbledore asked me to show up earlier. I'm Gabrielle Bonnet. You two are...?"

James chimed in immediately: "I'm James Potter, I give flying lessons and I'm the Quidditch coach. This is my friend, Sirius Black and he owns Zonko's at Hogsmeade."

Miss Bonnet fell down on the bench besides Sirius.

"Oh. Nice to meet you. When is dinner, though? I'm starving. I was roaming around Albania just this morning, I traveled quite a great deal."


	4. Something wrong

Sebastian made it home completely exhausted; yet he could not sleep. Besides the information he still had to proccess, he knew something was... Off. The feeling started at the Leaky Cauldron, and it grew stronger at Gringotts, and Sebastian was sure of it when he went to buy his wand.

At the great marble hall of Gringotts, he and Hermione distanced themselves from her parents while Lupin was busy picking up something at a vault, and they noticed people exchanged whispers, scared looks and glared at him.

Ollivanders seemed quite distressed as he offered Sebastian the wand that worked for him. That was after talked to him at the back of the store.

It was true that Mr. Lupin was a teacher at Hogwarts: many people confirmed this by approaching him and greeting him, asking about Hogwarts and his subject. But it was impossible to shake it off the feeling he was hiding something from Sebastian.

"I'm pretty sure it's nothing." said Hermione, a few days later, over the phone. She didn't sound sure.

They exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch in the month they were supposed to wait until the beggining of the term. Sebastian was surprised to find out they got along pretty well, and their excitement about the new knowledge at their hands was about the same.

"I don't know..." he sighed.

"Come on! Try to be in a better mood when we meet again in a month, right? I mean, we are going to Hogwarts!"

He managed to crack a smirk.

Hogwarts seemed like a good place to be.

OoOoO

"I couldn't." confessed Lupin. "I didn't have the heart to tell him. I'm sorry, Dumbledore."

That night, after they took care of putting the stone well secured under Fluffy, they went to the Headmaster's office discuss about Lupin's most important mission.

"He'll have to know the truth, sooner or later." Dumbledore said.

"He's a child. He shouldn't have to deal with this."

James remembered faintly about the parties and celebration over the boy who lived. But, ten years later, the story modified itself. While the majority of the Wizardry World believe Snape Jr. was a good omen for a while, the former Death Eaters believed in a different story.

The prophecy never stated the foretold child was good; it merely said the child was powerful. More powerful than Voldemort. That lead the Death Eaters to think Snape. Jr would be the next Dark Lord, taking in consideration his father's love for the Dark Arts. The rumors spreaded about, and now the Wizardry World was fairly sure the boy was as dangerous as Voldemort.

"But he will have to, Remus. In a month, he'll be here and I'm certain the children won't be as discrete as their parents." Dumbledore looked pointedly at the three of them, James, Remus and Sirius. "We know how we can almost lose people to the Dark Side by ostracizing them."

James felt a heat coming up his neck and invading his face.

Sirius merely snickered.

"Come on, Snape was a cry baby. And he wasn't that innocent, either. He did like Dark Arts, and it didn't stop even after he slipped and called Lily you know what. He nearly sliced James with that spell of his, what was it...? Sectusempra."

"Yet he managed to do the right thing." Dumbledore said. "Even when it was hard. Wouldn't it be simpler to join Voldemort? Wouldn't it be easier for him to just keep his old pals? This shows much more about his personality than his passions. Let's hope the boy is alike his father in that regard. The right path will be difficult for him."

"Well, at least he has a friend for this. We met a muggle couple with a witch daughter at Diagon Alley and they accompanied us the whole afternoon. The girl, Hermione, didn't know about any of this and befriended him in a bat of an eye. I almost had a deja vú."

The past seemed unescapable, after all. James was on his thirties and still at Hogwarts, still doing the same old things with his same old pals. He felt as if though he was merely a ghost, paying for the sins of his youth. The boy wasn't just Snape Jr., however. He was Lily's son as well.

_The things I do for you, Lily._

James spent most of the night roaming around the corridors, with a bottle of elf wine on hands. Eventually he ended up nearby where the stone was kept and found no one less than the newbie teacher, Gabrielle.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, giving the bottle a suggestive look.

"You could say so. How about you?"

"I'm afraid I got lost two hours ago. But! The castle is so fascinating I could get lost the whole night." James cringed a bit. Miss Bonnet looked like too much of a hyperactive girl to his taste. She toned down right after: "Still, I have been travelling the whole day... Do you mind taking me to my room? It was Mrs. Bubbage's old one."

"I could do that." he said, turning on his heels and waiting for her to keep up with him before asking. "How come you don't have an accent?"

"Everyone asks me this. I was raised in England, but moved to France when I was ten, just in time to get into Beauxbeatons. The actual question would be how come I never learned enough French to have an accent."

"I see. So what propelled you to teach Muggle Studies?"

"Well, it's what I can teach at the moment. I have other interests, but my parents are dead and I need to support myself."

"Other interests? What other interests?" James questioned.

"Quidditch, believe it or not. Isn't much important at Beauxbeatons, so I didn't have the opportunity of following my dream."

"Really? Oh well, that's nice. As you know I am the Quidditch Coach; we could always go out and play for a while. We still have one month before the mayhem starts. What do you think?"

OoOoO

It was the slowest month of Sebastian's life. Without school, he had nothing to busy himself with, but reading his new books and daydreaming about the months he would spend away from Privet Drive; hopefully they would last as long as the days left until he finally boarded into Hogwarts Express.

Vernon give him a lift to Charing Cross, and he was supposed to meet Hermione there. Thankfully, because the tickets said platform nine and three quarters, and the only platforms they could see were the platforms nine and ten.

"What now?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know." They still had an hour, time wasn't an issue. "I think it's hidden. Diagon Alley was hidden, and muggles couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron, right? Hm... Let's just sit over there and watch. Wizard clothes aren't that hard to spot, either."

They sat by a bench with clear view of the platforms nine and ten.

"How long do you think this is going to take? What if the platform is elsewhere?" Hermione said. "I mean, we can be _very very_ late. I say we wait fifteen minutes then go ask someone. What do you think?"

"It's a plan."

Seven minutes were gone when Hermione finally spotted something worthy of note. "Look at that man and his son" she whispered. "They look a lot like wizards, don't they?"

Sebastian had to agree. He studied a bit about the Statute of Secrecy, and the two of them were not making a brilliant job blending in. They looked like copies: both had fair skin and blonde hair, except that the man's hair was long, and the boy's was short, and they wore black robes.

The father had a cane and an emerald ring on his finger; the boy carried his trunk, painted deep green and silver, with the letters D.M. They even carried the same scowl. Their faces would be not different if they were walking upon smelly mud.

Even if it was a serious infrigement on the Statute, Sebastian was glad they were anything but discrete as they simply walked into the column between platforms nine and ten, disappearing completely.

"That's quite brilliant, I've got to admit." Hermione said.

Sebastian silently agreed with her.

Standing in front of where the father and son dissapeared, however, made it seem not so brilliant, or even that simple. But as Sebastian put a finger on it, it felt as if though he just put his finger into thin air, and his finger disappeared.

"Alright. I'll go first." he said and took a brave step towards the column. For a split of second, everything was black, and then he stood in a platform with a red train releasing smoke. A sign read Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

He turned around to check if Hermione followed him, just in time to be spooked by a silky, whispery voice.

"Well, well, well, if this isn't the famous Sebastian Snape. My name is Lucius Malfoy." The man - the same man from before - stretched his hand for Sebastian to shake. He noticed Sebastian hesitated, so he added: "I have had the pleasure of being a close friend of your father. You look strinkingly like him, I must add, if not for your mother's eyes."

Sebastian shook Mr. Malfoy's hand with a frown.

"Where did you meet my father?"

"We were colleagues in our Hogwarts times. By the way, this is my son Draco, and I hope you get along well this year."

"Nice to meet you." said Draco, and this time Sebastian didn't think twice before shaking his hand.

"And your little friend is...?" Mr. Malfoy asked, looking somewhere behind Sebastian.

"Oh, this is Hermione. We met at Diagon Alley."

"Muggleborn, I can see..."

"Is that a problem, sir?" she asked with ironic politeness.

"No, none at all. Let just pray you all have a nice term at Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Have a good day." Hermione then procedeed to leave, dragging Sebastian along. "Don't mess with them, Sebastian. They are not good people."

"But he was friends with my father." he argued, although he noticed the scorn in Mr. Malfoy's voice when he said "muggleborn".

"Well, yes but... Wait. How much do you know about your father?"

"Not... Much. I know he was a soldier at the Wizardry War that happened ten years ago and that his name was Severus Snape."

"Oh. I thought... Well... I thought you knew it already!"

"Knew what already?"

Hermione looked around, chewing the insides of her cheek.

"After that day, I went back to Diagon Alley with my parents because somehow I forgot to buy ink, and I bought a book about most recent happenings in the Wizardry World. Our History book is quite outdated I'm afraid, and then..." she sighed. "You seriously _don't _know? Anything at all? Not even about how you got your scar?"

Sebastian stood very still. If his parents didn't die at a car crash, it was a very obvious question to ask. How did he get that scar? It was there even since he could remember, and someone at Leaky Cauldron mentioned it.

"I don't." he muttered, more to himself than to Hermione. "How did I get my scar?"

"Well, I can tell you. But not here. Let's find somewhere quiet to sit."

It was early, and not many students were in the train. The short time they walked about trying to find a cabin just made it all seem a lot more off. The kids avoided him completely, some stopped to stare, others to glare.

They acted even more surprised when Hermione calmly told Sebastian to not give them mind.

"So." Sebastian said as soon as Hermione closed the door of their cabin. "What's wrong with me?"

"Not wrong!" she exclaimed, opening her trunk and fishing a book out of it. "Modern Wizardry History." she read the cover. "Quite an interesting read."

She sat at Sebastian's side and opened the book, right on the chapter entitled Wizardry War of the XX Century.

"It's by far the most interesting chapter of the book. Here you get to know a lot of Hogwarts' Headmaster Dumbledore, as well as some heroes that are still alive. The Malfoys show up here as well. Long story short, there was a great dark wizard named Voldemort, who was an adept of blood supremacy. You have heard about Witch Hunt, right?"

"Yes. Mr. Lupin told me about it; it was when the Statute of Secrecy was created."

"Precisely. Thing is magic is in our blood, but to this date there are still families that remain with their bloodlines completely formed by wizards. No muggle blood at all. They are ancient, and still bitter over the Witch Hunt. And muggle blood is seen as a bad thing because it's considered inferior , and a person who has muggle blood and is still a wizard is "dirty". Mudblood is a slur, and muggleborn is a status one doesn't want to have around these families. That's where Voldemort comes in. He gained support of the pureblood families, including the Malfoys, forming a group named the Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater who somehow escaped any sort of punishment. He wanted to submit muggles to wizard power, and purge the wizardry comunitty of mudbloods. Because of the Witch Hunt."

"Lucius Malfoy said he was friends with my father." Sebastian remembered. He didn't like where this story was going, but he had to know the truth.

"He might have thought so. Your father was a spy, Sebastian. He joined the Death Eaters to leak information to Dumbledore. He got accepted because in his teenage years, he was known for dealing with Dark Arts and... Hanging around with the wrong crowd. But he was in love with your mother, a muggleborn named Lily Evans. After graduation, with the war growing serious, he married your mother in secret and did the only thing he could do to fight Voldemort. Spy on him."

"He was a Death Eater." Sebastian said, matter of factly.

"He was a _spy_. The most dangerous task, I might add. Voldemort is a legilimens, which means he can read people's mind. Snape was exceedingly brilliant in Dark Arts, Potions and Occlumency, an complex art which consists of blocking the mind against external penetration. He was a genius. Your mother wasn't behind: after giving birth to you, she lived as a single mother at London for a year, right under Voldemort's nose because he was about to win the war, when a prophecy was made. It was about a child, of unknown powers, that would be a match for him. A child born in July, 31th. Two boys fit the criteria. Neville Longbottom and..."

"Me."

"You. Which is why your mother hid. But... She invited a traitor to her house, Peter Pettigrew. They were former class mates, and much like Snape, he was spying, but on the Light Side. He told Voldemort about what he found out. The testimonials are that Pettigrew did it in front of Snape, who was... Well, you know... Right on the spot, and Voldemort went straight to your home and..."

Sebastian swallowed hard.

"How come am I not dead?"

"Well, there's a spell... A very powerful spell... It merely..." She stopped talking for a while. "It just kills, alright? Whatever happens to be on its way. It's completely fatal, no one escaped but you. That what's the scar means. It means you survived. It also means you killed Voldemort without even trying."

"What did I do?"

"No one knows. What Dumbledore thinks that happened was that the spell rebound and hit Voldemort. There were rumors that he was immortal, but he dissapeared and didn't come back. You defeated him, you ended the war, you see?"

"If I am that much of a hero, why are people afraid of me?"

"Because... Many Death Eaters come from rich, powerful families. They all escaped any sort of punishment by the law, and they believe that you are the next Dark Lord. At first people were happy that Voldemort was gone, but the gossip and the rumor started to turn people against you. And meanwhile, you have been away from the Wizardry World at your uncle's home. No way to defend yourself."

"I... You don't believe this... Do you?"

"I don't. I mean, I didn't know any of this when I met you, but either way. You are nothing like those purebloods. Don't listen to any of this, please."

Sebastian laughed.

"It's not like I can ignore it, is it?"

A.N.: Thank you all of you for reading!

Vale: Yep, most definitely something is going on between them. BTW I picked the name Sebastian because it sounds like the kind of name Lily would pick. Nothing too flashy, plus Sebs get to stay with the initials of his father :)


	5. The Sorting

"Are you ok, Sebastian?"

"I am. I don't have to worry with whoever Voldemort is because he's gone, and it's all a theory and no one knows for sure if it's true."

Sebastian licked his lips and stared to the landscape. It has been a while since the platform disappeared of their view, and even before departure, he went absolutely silent, trying to digest everything he learned about himself and his past. It was... Overwhelming.

And he could do nothing about it, really, because he just didn't how right these gossips were. They had a sound logic, after all.

"You are right. I was just worried because you look..."

"You know what? Let's forget it." he said, managing to smile. "There's something I've wanted to ask you for a while now and I always forget. What house would you like to get sorted into?"

Hermione was still a bit weary, but replied anyway: "Well, I'm not very sure. The Sorting Hat is the one supposed to-"

"Just tell me which house you would pick if you had the choice, come on. There has to be one."

"Ravenclaw doesn't sound too bad."

"It doesn't, not at all."

"And about you? Which house?"

"I have to say Ravenclaw, too. I'm not exactly brave or cunning or hardworking or... Anything especial, to be honest...?"

"I think you are quite smart. Ravenclaw will do you good."

"Pinkie promise? Both of us in Ravenclaw?" Sebastian requested. "If the Sorting Hat let us, anyway."

"We have a deal."

The rest of trip they spent quietly enjoying their new school books. Sebastian picked up his Potions book; accordingly to the book Hermione purchased, both of his parents were Potions Masters so it wouldn't hurt giving it a good go.

Potion brewing was a science, of the sorts. Precise, exact. Follow the rules exactly as the book says.

Boring.

Although when he put the book away, it was almost dusk, and his stomach was rumbling quite loudly despite the fact he already ate three cauldron cakes and two chocolate frogs. Nicolas Flamel and Godric Gryffindor came in his cards.

"I suppose I oughta get something from the trolley lady and get dressed." Hermione's cheeks had a faint green undertone, he noticed. "Do you want anything or...?"

She shook her head saying no, with her lips tightly pursed.

"My stomach isn't-" she swallowed hard. "I'm nervous and when I get nervous, I get a bit nauseous and I'm in a train so you can see where this is going, I suppose."

"Of course. Be right back."

In his way to the bathroom to get dressed, he bumped yet again with Draco Malfoy.

"Where's Hermione?" he sneered.

"It doesn't really concern you, does it?"

"No, but... What my father said still stands. We can be great friends if only you forget about the wrong people."

"Don't hold your breath."

Sebastian walked past Draco, without a second glance.

"What? Do you think, do you actually think, she'll remain friends with you for much longer?"

"It's still none of your concern, Malfoy." Sebastian said under his breath, trying not to ignore people staring at them both. He should have asked Hermione to come along, but it was too late.

"I bet she only has befriended you because you are powerful. You know, one day she'll have to beg."

"Not for me."He stopped and turned on his heels to face Malfoy. Sebastian was a couple of inches taller than most boys of his age, not to mention his baggy clothes hid how much skinny he actually was, so he hoped his appearance looked intimidating enough. "I am not this monster people seem to think I am. You are wrong, everybody else is wrong."

"You know, for muggles, we are all monsters anyway."

Sebastian remained in silence. Whatever Malfoy's point was, it hit home: Sebastian recalled all the times he was called a freak by his relatives or his peers at school, all because some things happened around him that he had no control over...

Like the time Aunt Maggie's bulldog died right after biting his leg.

Malfoy smirked.

"Does this sound familiar, Snape?"

"Get lost, alright...? This conversation is over."

It was indeed over, but bugged him all the way to Hogwarts. He didn't even stop to appreciate the view of the castle, while Hermione seemed to be recovered from the nausea.

"It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"It is." he agreed, looking but not seeing, his mind far away from the present. "Hermione."

"What?"

He thought of asking if her parents were afraid of her or if funny things even happened to her... While he started to remember every single stance he had been called a freak, or a monster. Not every accident with his magic had been harmless.

His cupboard would never have spiders because usually they showed up dead shortly after; one day Dudley spent the day vomiting and with stomachaches after stealing a rare piece of cake Sebastian got to eat.

"I..." Sebastian hesitated. "Have you had any accidents with your magic before all this?"

Hermione studied Sebastian's expression with a frown.

"No. Why?"

She was the only friend he had, and he didn't want to scare her away. He shrugged and to escape Hermione's scrutiny, he gazed at the castle.

"Just wondering."

"Are you nervous?"

"You could say so. This is just the best thing that has happened in my entire life."

Sebastian was being mildly ironic, but his voice hid it well. He wasn't sure if he'd rather live his entire life without knowing about his past and the prophecy or live within a community that didn't want him there.

When they got into the docks, he decided that knowing and living in a cave for the rest of his life was the perfect solution for all of his problems, but he had to get magical education. Wizards had to learn how to control their magic, and he knew he wasn't an exception. Especially because when he lost control, bad things happened, be it starving at a cupboard or hurting someone else.

After graduating at Hogwarts, he thought to himself, I can live in a cave forever.

He and Hermione stayed behind while the other students climbed the stairs that lead to a stone hall, with two great doors. For the first time, Sebastian blended in, just another pupil waiting to be sorted. Of course that not all pupils were scared of him because some didn't know, like Hermione at first, but either way, he could live without the unwelcome attention.

Then a boy cleaned his throat near him.

"Excuse me." The freckles on the boy's face almost disappeared when Sebastian turned his neck to see who it was; his cheeks were as red as his hair. "Sorry if I am botherin but are you...?"

"It depends."

"W-well, my mother, s-she told me-"

"That I am the next Dark Lord, whatever that is?"

"No! No, of course not!" the boy exclaimed. "She said she didn't believe in those things and I just I'd... Argh, I'm being stupid. Never mind."

Finally someone in their right mind.

"You are being considerably less stupid than everyone around. I suppose you know I'm Sebastian Snape. You are...?"

"I'm Ron, Ron Weasley."

"Alright... Well, this is Hermione."

"Hi, Hermione."

The anxiety apparently hit her again, who mouthed hi and let her eyes wander to the ceiling, clenching her fists. Ron himself needed some fresh air.

As for Sebastian, he had greater worries.

The double door opened and a woman with square glasses and a severe look on her face appeared.

"Welcome, all of you. I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. The Sorting Ceremony will occur soon." she stared at each one of them, including Sebastian. "Do try not to faint meanwhile. Follow me."

"She said that as if it was easy! Do try not to faint." he mimicked her. "Right..."

Sebastian snickered. "That's crazy."

Although he spoke a little too soon. When he stood right in the end of the line for the Sorting, a stabbing pain went through his scar, irradiating to his entire head. His vision started to go black.

"Holy shit, this hurts!"

He had to get out. Half-blind, he managed his way out of the Great Hall before collapsing.

OoOoO

"He's still passed out at the Hospital Wing." said Remus.

The feast was already over, which meant Snape Jr. spent two hours unconscious, and no one knew how many more hours were to come.

James recognized the boy right away. The curtains of black hair which seriously needed some cutting were unforgettable. Not to mention the green eyes of his, exactly the same as Lily's. It certainly brought back some memories...

Until Snape Jr. ran away from the Great Hall, almost tripping several times, and fainted.

"What the fuck happened?" Sirius questioned. His mouth was stuffed with chocolate pudding; the feast wasn't over for him, it seemed.

The three of them were patrolling the corridors after students out of bed, not that they would actually punish them, of course. Sirius didn't even have to be there, but whenever he wasn't at his store or sleeping in his home, he was at Hogwarts.

"No one knows. Dumbledore is worried, of course. We can't know what happened until he wakes up, and Dumbledore thinks something dangerous is on course." Remus sighed. "It's going to happen. All over again. I don't think I can handle another war."

James snorted.

"I myself think it'll be easier. Voldemort, wherever he is, is weak. If he's not dead."

_And I barely have anything to lose._

"But let's not forget..." Sirius said. "The problem might not be Voldemort."

Remus stopped walking: "If Dumbledore hears you saying that, he'll throw a fit."

"I mean, come on, the thought has never crossed your mind? He seems to be an alright kid or whatever, but he destroyed Voldemort when he was a baby! Anyone with that much power would go insane."

"He's a kid, Sirius! I didn't even tell him what happened to him and I suppose he must be extremely confused because I saw that no one was very discreet about their contempt. Try to be a bit understanding."

"Would the ladies calm down for a second...?" James intervened. "The important thing is that he's at Hogwarts in one piece and Dumbledore gets to keep an eye on him and stop anything bad from happening. Alright?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and whispered:

"Dumbledore is not all mighty. If it wasn't for Snape Jr., we'd be dead right now because Voldemort would have won the war. Sure, he wants to believe the boy is not bad, but - I'm just saying, no need to get your knickers in a bunch - what if he is? What are we going to do...?"

Then they heard quick, light steps approaching them. It was Gabrielle.

"He's up. Dumbledore wants to see you in the Hospital Wing."

"Sure." James said, flashing her a grin.

"I'll patrol the hallways for you, alright?"

"Thank you, Miss Bonnet." said Remus.

Gabrielle walked away and Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"So you showed her the castle?"

"I did, in fact but-"

"She's your colleague." Remus said.

"Which makes it ten times better, right?" Sirius added.

"Oh Merlin, she's very shy. The rumors were definitely not true. But, my ladies, all I can say is that I think the wait is worth it."

"She's your colleague."

"You have made your point, Moony, and I have decided to blissfully ignore it."

The way to the Hospital Wing was light hearted, but the mood dropped as they arrived to their destination. Snape Jr. was sitting by a bed with, looking extremely concentrated or annoyed. Dumbledore was beside him, sitting on a chair with the Sorting Hat on his knees.

"Oh, here they are. Sebastian, you know Mr. Lupin already, and these are Mr. Potter, the Quidditch Coach and Mr. Black, the... Well, regardless of his title, if you ever feel something strange or out of place and need to talk, these three will gladly listen if I am not available. It's important. The pain you felt in your scar it's not just a mere pain because your scar is not an ordinary scar."

"I know. The prophecy, and all that..." He studied his own knuckles. "The pain means Voldemort is not dead, doesn't it? He's around. I didn't kill him, after all."

"I'm afraid so. But how come you already knew of the prophecy?"

"Modern Wizardry History, chapter Wizardry War of the XX Century. A... A friend showed it to me at the train."

"And what did you think of it?"

"I never had a choice to begin with, so I don't have much to think, do I?" the boy sneered.

What a bloody little brat.

"Life is unfair for some, unfortunately..." Dumbledore said. "I suppose it is time for your sorting so you can get a little sleep."

Dumbledore stood up and put the hat on Snape Jr's head. For almost a minute, the hat was silent. Either it and the boy were arguing over each house, or he was just too hard to sort. But the answer came, at last:

"Slytherin."

Surprise, surprise.

Snape Jr. was a Slytherin.


End file.
